purge

Definition of purge

purged

;

purging

transitive verb

1a: to clear of guiltb: to free from moral or ceremonial defilement

2a: to cause evacuation from purge the bowelsb(1): to make free of something unwanted purge a manhole of gaspurge yourself of fear(2): to free (something, such as a boiler) of sediment or relieve (something, such as a steam pipe) of trapped air by bleedingc(1): to rid (a nation, a political party, etc.) by a purge (2): to get rid of the leaders had been purged

Recent Examples of purge from the Web

At $3 billion, the tunnels would cost much more than the other alternatives, officials said, and would require hefty operating expenses for extensive ventilation systems to purge auto exhaust and smoke from traffic emergencies.

Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer, who spent a fruitful decade at Porsche, aspires to purge the winged-B brand’s stodginess through participation in GT3 road racing and by appealing to a younger clientele with more agile products.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In some cultures, a ritual bath or prayer is performed to purge guilt or evil spirits. The Minoans of ancient Crete may have used human sacrifice as a way of purging the entire community, which is fine for the community but rough on the victims. In many cultures, people periodically purge themselves physically—that is, clean out their digestive tracts—by taking strong laxatives; this used to be a popular springtime ritual, and herbal purgatives were readily available.

Recent Examples of purge from the Web

International pressure has to be maintained until the Chechen and Russian authorities acknowledge this purge and other crimes against the population and take meaningful steps to bring those who are found responsible to justice.

The debate took place in the ANC committee late Saturday in Pretoria, after weeks of mounting pressure on Zuma following his March 31 decision to remove Pravin Gordhan as finance minister in a cabinet purge.

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.